Music and people hold my life together. I describe experiences, discoveries and insights, often connected with music and with teaching and playing piano. The blog is a way to stay in touch with friends, and may also be food for thought for anyone else, especially people connected with music and the piano/
Musik und Menschen halten mein Leben zusammen. Ich beschreibe Erfahrungen, Entdeckungen und Einsichten, oft in Zusammenhang mit dem Klavierspiel und dem Klavierunterricht.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City opens its doors for a blessing of our four legged friends. You can bring a photo of those who are farther away, but all animals who are willing and able are welcome to the ceremony in person.

A group of therapy dogs and their human companions

exchange experience.

My friend Bill Edwards welcomed the congregation. He started the tradition of the Blessing of the Animals at All Souls years ago. He and his wife Margaret have been engaged in animal therapy with their cats for a long time. Bill shared an experience from a visit to a veteran's home with one of their cats. He described how a young man who suffered from severe PTSD started to ask question after question, once they put the cat on his lap. The patient's psychologist told Bill later that the young man hadn't spoken a single word up to then.

Margaret with "Grey Bear", and Bill with "Dozer" at a presentation they held about cat therapy at the Ethical Culture Society in Maplewood, NJ a few years ago.

Bill had planned to bring his cat Angelina to All Souls on Sunday, but he also sings in the choir. There wasn't enough time to return to New Jersey after the services in the morning to get the cat before the blessing in the afternoon. Also, he wasn't sure about Angelina's reaction to trumpets and kettle drums that are a part of of orchestra in Bach's cantata BWV 29 - "We thank thee, o Lord," and would have been a long day in the city for her. My cats Siddhartha and Genie Ramses stayed home for the same reason, but I had a photo of them, and a few other animals I know

"Fast so gemütlich wie mein Sofa zu Hause"

There's always time for a treat.

Ein Leckerei ist immer willkommen.

"The sermon is up front, you guys."

"Die Predigt findet vorne statt."

"I find it very relaxing"

"Ich finde sie sehr entspannend."

Two soloists from the choir, Yekaterina Gruzglina, soprano, and Chloe Schaaf, mezzo-soprano, sang Rossini's Duet for Two Cats. Unfortunately I don't have a recording of their performance.

But if you'd like to get a taste of the extraordinary piece, click on the link below. Soloists in this youtube recording are Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Victoria de los Angeles, accompanied by Gerald Moore at the piano.

"We've never heard anything like it."

"So etwas haben wir noch nie gehört."

The congregation also got a chance to made themselves heard.

Auch die Gemeinde bekam eine Chance, sich hören zu lassen.

And then it was time to get up and go to the front for the blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the infinite peace to you

After all the animals - those present in person and on those on the photos - received this traditional Celtic blessing, the animals and their humans left the church. On our way out we ran into one of the custodians. "Now it's time to get the vacuum cleaner," he said.